Do you think .357 mag Levergun is a good home defense weapon?

Question

I am going to be buying a “16 Puma and plain on using it in competitions but if needed do you think it has good reload time and distances to be used for self defense. I believe it is good to 150 yards but if using reloads can get out to 200 yards.

Answer 1

For those who say over penetration of a .357 in a rifle... How far do you think a .357 goes in a handgun? How far do you think buckshot goes in a shotgun? The average safe fall distance for buckshot is something like 700yds. A .22 goes over a mile!

At least with a rifle you will be able to more precisely place your shot and hit your target. Most people shoot handguns far less accurately than they would like to admit, especially under stress. That being said, I do not like the rate of fire or the mandatory two hand requirement to fire the lever action gun. Someday you may only get to use one hand to shoot with.

The round is fine, the rifle configuration is fine, the lever action I could skip. But there are definitely worse guns!

Answer 2

Yes, it will make a good home defense weapon but 150 yards is very, very optimistic for a .357 Magnum even in carbine configuration. I had a Puma in .44 Magnum and at best it was a hundred yard gun and mine had the 20" barrel. With this one, as with any lever action, you must work the action briskly. After a while you'll get the hang of it. Also, there is a pin that tends to drop out in the lever when you open and close the action. I just 'super-glued' it into place to keep it from dropping out. Also, I'd be careful with hand loads as the Model 92 (of which the Puma is a copy) isn't particularly strong as it is intended as a pistol caliber, not a rifle caliber like the Model 94.

Good luck.

H

Answer 3

A 12gauge Shotgun is the favored weapon for home defense, but it is a good idea to also have a rifle*. For inside the home go with the 12 gauge loaded with # 4 shot*. A handgun completes the list with a 357 magnum or 45 Acp nothing less than these two calibers*.

Answer 4

I can't believe some of the stupid answers here.

Yes, of course, a .357 lever gun would make an excellent self defense gun. The .357 Mag is legendary as a handgun fighting cartridge, and the ballistics would only be better coming out of the longer tube. As far as lever guns go, they are fast, handy and light.

Get yourself a .357 Mag revolver, and you will have a 2 gun battery utilizing the same cartridge making things more simple and efficient.

Answer 5

A lot of people seem to have negative opinions of using a 357 Mag rifle for home defense.

I do agree with the people who have said that home defense situations are measured in feet, not yards. Even the absolute longest shot in my home would be under 60 feet. Most of the shots would be well under 30 feet (probably more the 15 to 20 foot range).

IMHO, the best home defense weapon is a very personal choice. I feel there are four things to be considered when choosing a home defense weapon:

1. Knowledge of the cartridge: A 50 BMG will take out anything short of a tank (and they even make rounds for that), but I don't think it would be a good cartridge as in an urban environment, it will overpenetrate and potentially go through the next 5 houses, taking out anything in its way (if not farther). A 22 rimfire may be a fine choice for the recoil adverse, but it lacks in the penetration department. You need to be familiar with the strengths and limitations of any cartridge you choose.

2. Comfortable with the gun: Some people like revolvers, some people like semi-autos. Some people like bolt-actions, some people like lever actions. Some opt for a pistol while some like a long gun. There no wrong type of gun and actiion type. It is what feels good in your hands and what you can operate under pressure. A Sig Sauer is a fine weapon, but I wouldn't trust my life with it because I've never fired one and I don't know how to work one. Another user might love the Sigs and will own nothing else. What is familiar to you and what feels good to you is a must in a home defense weapon.

3. Whats around you: Even the weakest of ronuds can overpenetrate and potentially hurt innocent people. Some cartridges like a 22 rimfire or a 410 shotgun will lessen the possibility of overpenetration, but may not put a human down quickly. You need to take a look around your house and figure out what is important. If you live in the middle of the woods on 100 acres of land, then you probably don't need to worry about your neighbors. If you live in the Burbs, find out what rooms your neighbors sleep in and frequent at different times of the day. Plan your potential shots accordingly.

4. Develop a plan of attack: Just like hunting, you can actively hunt your target or lay back and let the target come to you. Lay out a plan. Figure out bottlenecks in the house where an intruder would have to go to get to you (stairs, certain doorways, hallways are good examples). Figure out if you'll set up an ambush at a bottleneck or will you track the person down in your home. If you have family, lay out a plan to have them fall back to a certain area (like a walk-in closet or a bedroom) and use that as your Alamo. If someone can handle it, keep some heavy artillery there (12 ga shotgun, 30-06 M1 Garand, 45 ACP Thompson, a deer rifle, etc..) in case you are taken down. This can be a place where you can regroup, make a last stand, and have some one reload one weapon for you while you lay down fire with another. No plan will work exactly like you want, but have a plan of attack or defense.

Once you figure out these 4 pieces, choose a gun that will fit the bill.

Personally, my primary defense is a 90 pound black lab/pit bull mix that is very intimidating. If the person makes it through that, I would wait at the top of the stairs with a 12 ga pump action with 5 rounds of 00 buckshot and 5 rounds of sabot slugs (I only have a rifled barrel). I also have a Puma rifle in a 454 Casull and an AK-47 handy if I have time to load all 3. The stairs are a natrual bottleneck and as I am shooting downward, any bullets would end up in the basement or would hit the ground either stopping the bullet or taking a lot of energy out of them. The master bedroom is the fallback position where I have AK ammo & clips, hunting rifles, and handguns. The kids bedrooms are along the way if they haven't cleared already. The master bedroom presents overpenetration concerns as there would be a house in the line of fire.

If you know where overpenetraion isn't a concern, you can use high powered rounds. If you think through the shots in your mind in advance, you can pretty much use anything.

The 357 Mag is a fine round. If the Puma feels good to you, then go with it. I would opt for hollow point rounds or any bullet that isn't built for controlled expansion.

Chances are, most people on this board will never have to draw on another human. However, when it comes to a person's life and the life of their family, it is always best to be prepared and to be safe. Never keep loaded weapons or weapons and ammo near children. In all but a few instances, the homeowner has the 5 seconds to get a gun out of the safe (hopefully, the electronic safe won't fail when you need it)

Answer 6

150 - 200 yards is not self defense. Well, maybe if out in the desert.

Self defense would be a .357 wheelgun at about 10 feet.

And, if you want to be sure they don't shoot back, a shotgun loaded with #6 shot (so you don't shoot lots of other people in the next house with a slug). That's self defense.

What kind of self defense are you talking about?

Answer 7

Home defense weapon.. hmm.. you'll want to take a safety course.. even if you know how to use a gun.. it would give you a chance to understand and maybe use a variety of guns..

I did however hear someone once say that the pump action of a shot gun is the clearest sound of fear you can send an intruder who doesn't belong.. it's suppose to be an unmistable sound..

Just be really really carefull that you don't get into something you have not had professional help in dealing with.. and ask the pro's who know! and check into all permits and the legal information about owneing a gun.. be smart about it!

Answer 8

Anything that would exceed the distance from your house to the next house is a bad idea for home defense. Especially if it will penetrate multiple houses.

However, if that is all that you have, its better than nothing.

I don't know how loud and clear the sound of a pump action shot gun being racked is. I've been at the range and had pump action shotguns working down range of me, and barely heard it.

Plus if you do it behind a door or from another room, it may not transmit very well. Factor other ambient noises in your house or outside.

Besides if they are hopped up on drugs, or drunk off their keister, and banging on your door, the sound of a shotgun being racked isn't going to make them think twice.

However, a shotgun is ideal because it can spread damage over a larger area, rather than a small area. Pistols and rifles may over penetrate leaving minimal damage. Plus pellets are not likely to penetrate too many layers of sheetrock.

Plus if you have to smack 'em one or the police confiscate it, would you rather it be your nice levergun or a shotgun?

Answer 9

It wouldn't be a choice if the primary use were self-defense, but it'll certainly do. I don't see why you're talking about silly distances, though. Self-defense range is out to about 15 feet, not measured in yards, and the 357 is hot enough that loading it above SAAMI specs is nuts.

Answer 10

Rocket-propelled grenades... are better :-)

Otherwise... if the inside of your house is 150-200 yards long, you'd be a lot better off with a rifle with a good scope... even if to watch TV across the room- at 150+ yards away.

But personally, as a home-defense weapon, I prefer a good solid baseball bat... or a Samuri sword. Good face-to-face action their. I like to look home-invaders right in the eyes! :-D

~ Jon